Marly cross country training

Laurence agreed somewhat reluctantly to come with me for the annual cross-country training sessions that take palce in Marly park prior to the start of the cross-country season. The improvement in form of the girls (Laurence, Sandra and Katia) has encouraged a healthy pressure to be put on them to take part in the races this year to represent the club. I encouraged them to do some specific training as, even if the cross-country season is not a specific objective as such, these races do help in general performance with the hills and cardiac work in training.

We arrived in Marly to find a smaller turnout than the usual track sessions (thank goodness as the track is very crowded at the moment). Miguel was there to encourage everybody on and to make sure that there was not too much slacking. I chatted to François, who was there for the first time, and we spoke about the benefits of this training. We warmed up around the course, showing the newcomers the difficulties: the first long slope lasting 440m with an average gradient of around 8 - 9%; the second stepper slope lasting 200m at 15% and then the final 1.5k with it's fast downhill and then the long slog in the tall, wet grass before the final bumps to the end of the loop.

Miguel had decided that since it was the first session that we'd only be doing 2 loops instead of the usual 3. Yoan arrived at this point and ran to the front with Ilyes. We set off up the first hill and they both distanced me immediately. A new guy, Stéphane, comes past me up the first slope but I'm closing on him towards the end and I catch him up again on the recovery. I resolve to stay with him and on the next slope I can see that he's suffering already, having gone into the red too soon. On the last section of the first loop, he passes ahead again but I catch him in the grass and overtake, gaining the satisfaction of finishing the first loop ahead of him.

We set off on the second and this time I'm in no-man's land. Yoan and Ilyes are way ahead on the hills, Stéphane is behind. I ran at my own pace and am slightly slower than the first loop, going up the first slope in 2:00 compared to 1:55 for the first time around. I missed the competition from José was was taking it easy before a half-marathon race tomorrow.

I ended the session by running the last section again behind Laurence and Sandra and could see that Laurence was enjoying herself and finding it easier than she had imagined.

13.3k all up. With a long run tomorrow morning, I should hit the 100k again for this week.